


Carded

by Owlix



Series: Confined Spaces [3]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Pre-War, mention of engex consumption, miner Megatron
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-30
Updated: 2015-10-30
Packaged: 2018-04-28 19:51:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5103662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Owlix/pseuds/Owlix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two miners try to walk into a bar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Carded

“Seriously? You’ve  _how old_? And you’ve never been to a bar?”

Megatron frowned, attempting to cover his embarrassment. “I never felt the need. And Tarn was… different than Iacon.”

Impactor snorted. “Sure, sure. Real different. I didn’t know there weren’t any bars in Tarn.” He hit Megatron hard on the shoulder with an open palm and grinned. “You know what I love about you? Every time we talk I learn something new.”

Tarn was a working-class town. It was full of bars, and Impactor knew it. Megatron had never gone to any of them because he’d never had a friend to go with him. Impactor knew  _that_ too.

Megatron refused to rise to Impactor’s taunts. His frown intensified.

Impactor just grinned wider, radiating hard ruthless affection. “Look at those optics glow. That’s what I like to see. So bright I don’t need headlights.”

Megatron turned his head to hide his smile.

 

Impactor brought them to a bar - a real one, legal and authorized, with permits glowing on the wall and everything. Probably a compromise to Megatron’s inexperience; Impactor was breaking him in easy before dragging him to his usual dives. Like most legal bars, this one was class-segregated. Miner-specific, in this case, based on the crowd Megatron could see and hear through the open door. Two security-class bouncers stood to either side.

Impactor flashed something at one of the bouncers. Megatron floundered, taken off guard, then realized they were scanning ID. He scrambled for his own ID, found it in one of his few subspace containers, and presented it to the other bouncer.

The bouncer scanned it, then squinted at the resulting information projected. Impactor was waved through immediately. Megatron was not. The bouncer squinted at his face, then back at the ID.

Impactor noticed his absence and turned back. He met Megatron’s optics through the open door and gestured –  _What’s the hold-up?_  Megatron shrugged.

The bouncer gestured for Megatron to turn his face to the side. Megatron did so.

“Name?” the bouncer asked.

“Megatron. Just like it says on my–”

“Yeah, all right. You look like a CCed mech to me, Megaton. Mind telling me why your batch code is missing?”

From inside the bar, Impactor snickered.

“It’s Mega **tron**. With an  **r**. Is this bar segregated by mode of origin along with class?”

The bouncer scowled and didn’t answer. He looked at the ID display for another long moment, then at Megatron’s face again. Trying to intimidate him, probably. Megatron refused to look away. The bouncer broke first. He leaned back against the wall and sighed.

“Look, newbuilds aren’t allowed in here. Can’t drink engex until your systems have enough cycles to habituate to regular fuel. Go on home.”

From inside the bar, Impactor laughed. Megatron ignored him.

“I’m –” He didn’t even know where to start. “I’m not a  _newbuild_. I was created in 012–”

“Uh huh.” The bouncer looked him up and down. “You’re in awfully good condition for a miner of your age.”

“ _I was just transferred from Tarn._ They gave us all extensive maintenance and partial rebuilds as a condition of transfer.”

Impactor was doubled over with laughter by this point, leaning on the wall to remain upright. Megatron glared at him. Impactor didn’t even notice.

“Mm hm.” The bouncer nudged his co-worker and waved him over. “What do you think? This look legit to you?”

“What’s the problem?”

“ID says 012, but look at his  _face_. Like he just came off the line yesterday. Looks like a newbuild to me.” Impactor’s background laughter grew louder - he slumped further against the wall. “I’m thinking fake ID.”

The other bouncer’s optics flickered across Megatron’s ID data and then his face. “Nah. It’s fine. Let him him.”

“But–”

“I said it’s fine. Do you even  _know_  how much paperwork we’d have to do over a fake ID?” Megatron’s ID was thrust back into his hands. Wordlessly, he took it. “Go on, then. Just behave yourself.”

Still speechless, Megatron did his best to hold onto his dignity. He stepped into the bar with his head held high. Impactor still shuddered with laughter as he leaned on the wall.

“Don’t hurt yourself,” Megatron said.

Impactor gripped his side. “I think–” He wheezed and tried again. “I think I pulled a cable.”

Megatron’s frown did nothing to wipe that grin off Impactor’s face. “You owe me a drink.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you optronixes on tumblr for suggesting I write this!


End file.
